Metallic fence-post



(No Model.)

' M. H. BAER.

M-BTALLIG FENCE POST.

No. 522,818. Patented July 10, 1894-.

' Attorneys UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MARTIN H. BAER, OF HAGERSTOWN, MARYLAND.

METALLIC FENCE-POST.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 522,818, dated July 10,1894.

Application filed February 24, 1894. Serial No. 501,376- (No model.)

Hagerstown, in the county of Washington and State of Maryland, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Metallic Fence- Posts;and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription of the invention, which will enable others skilled in theart to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being hadto the ac:

companying drawings, which form a part of this specification, and inwhich- Figure l is a perspective view of my improved metallic fencepost. Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view on line 00-00. Fig. 3 is alongitudinal sectional view through the middle of the post; and Fig. 4is a perspective view of a portion of the post from the side opposite tothe view shown in Fig. 1.

Like letters of reference designate correponding parts in all thefigures.

This invention relates to metallic fence posts of that type whichconsist of a rectangular plate of metal, provided with slots for theinsertion of bent portions of the fencewires. As heretofore constructed,this type of metallic fence posts is provided with metallic rods orstaples, which are inserted through the bent or looped portions of thefence-wires where these are inserted through the slots in the plate, forthe purpose of binding or looking the fence-wires upon the slottedplate; and the object of my invention is to do away with theselocking-wires or staples, by so constructing the post-plate that thewires will be held in place thereon without any extraneous devices.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, the letter A denotes my improvedfence-post, or post-plate, which consists of a rectangular plate of anysuitable sheet-metal, of the proper size and thickness. By the use ofsuitable machinery, slots are cut into this plate, as shown at B; butwithout removing the tongue I or piece of metal, 0, formed by cuttingthese slots. The tongue, C, appertaining to and formed by the cutting ofeach slot, is bent back of the plate, and creased to form a groove orpocket, D, which receives that portion of the wire, E, which crosses andis attached to the plate. The body of the plate is also grooved or,corrugated, as shown, at D, in alignment with the groove or pocket, D,in the tongue, so that each of the fence-wires, E, will be embedded inthe recess or -pocket formed by the continuous groove, D D D. Inaddition to the transverse grooves, D, plate, A, is bent longitudinallyalong its median line, forming an obtuse angle in cross section, with arecess, F, at the bottom or apex of the angle. This strengthens or'stiifens the plate longitudinally, giving it the requisite degree ofsolidity and rigidity, while the transverse grooves or corrugations,D,serve the two-fold purpose of forming recesses or pockets for thefence-wires, E, and of strengthening and stifiening the plate laterally.

It will be obvious that my improvement as hereinbefore described isnotlimited in its application to metallic fence posts, but is equally welladapted to metallic stays or pickets for metallic fences. In fact, onthe drawings I have shown the improvement as applied to a stay ratherthan to a fence post; the only difference being, however, that the postis simply a stay extended downwardly, or with a downward extension ofsufiicient length to embed it in the ground.

I am well aware that it is not new, broadly, to construct alongitudinally grooved metallic fencepost or stay with transverse slotsand pockets for the insertion of the fence-wires; and I am also awarethat posts have been constructed with tongues formed by cutting slotsinto the post and bending the metal outwardly; nor do I claimtheseconstructions broadly. But I am not aware that a grooved tongue, incombination with a slotted plate having grooves or pockets in alignmentwith the grooves in the tongues, has before been made; and

What I claim as my improvement, and desire to secure by Letters Patentof the United States, is, therefore- 1. As an improved article ofmanufacture, a metallic fence post, consistingof the plate, A, bentlongitudinally to form an obtuse angle in cross-section, and corrugatedtransversely to form horizontal grooves or pockets, D, and provided withthe slots, B, and their appropriate tongues, C; said tonguesbeinggrooved transversely in alignment with and the body of the plate,and resting within the continuous pocket formed by the groove in thetongue and the contiguous grooves in the body of the plate on oppositesides of the central grooved tongue and in alignment therewith;substantially as and for the purpose shown and set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereuntoaffixed my signature 20 in presence of two witnesses.

' .MARTIN H. BAER.

Witnesses:

O. H. HERBERT, A. YINGLING.

